Abstract

       This monograph contains evidence relevant to employers, employees, and religious leaders. It concerns differences between workers who usually work weekends, and others who work just weekdays.

       First, both women and men who worship weekly, when compared with their counterparts who worship less often or not at all, have characteristics that most employers would find desirable. This is true whether or not they work weekends or just weekdays.

       For example, weekly worship rates are relatively low among women workers who have used illicit drugs at least once in the past year, who have used marijuana more than once in their life, who often cope with stress by smoking more than usual, or by drinking alcohol, and who never cope with stress by praying or spiritual help.

       Weekly worship rates are also relatively low among men who say spiritual values are unimportant in their life, have used illicit drugs at least once in the past year, who have used marijuana more than once in their life, who never cope by praying/spiritual help, who cope by drinking alcohol or by smoking more, who were drunk at least once at work, etc, in life, and who were low-risk or problem gamblers.

        Conversely, women and men working either weekends or only weekdays who have relatively high worship rates, also have characteristics that most would consider desirable for success in work and life.

       For example, in the case of men, the groups include those who are non-smokers, non-drinkers, and non-marijuana users; who have a strong belonging to their locality, who are non-gambler, and who report spiritual values as being important in their life, and a help with everyday difficulties.

       Second, weekend work on the whole does not deter the likelihood of regular worship, when compared with weekday only work. This result also holds for both women and men, though there are exceptions to note.

       Specifically, weekly worship rates of weekend workers in Canada differ little from their counterparts who work just weekdays, 19% versus 21% in the case of women, and virtually the same, 17%, in the case of men.

       In some provinces, however, these rates differ widely - for example the worship rate for women working only weekdays exceeds that of their counterparts who work weekends by 40% (nine points, 32% - 23%) in New Brunswick.

       Worship frequency rates are charted for subpopulations of women and men in Chapters 1 to 4, while the corresponding tables in Appendix 2 present the frequencies and percentage distributions, along with the rates.

       This monograph is the companion to the 20th, which presented data for the total employed and employed parents, and regression results for women and men, mothers and fathers that distinguish weekend from weekday only workers.